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3 Cybersecurity Threats of 2018 to Watch Out For

Christmas is over; no more presents to open or desserts to eat. It is now 2018, which means capabilities of technology will be expanding along with waistlines following the holidays. Several of these new technological functions will make our lives more efficient and productive, but cybercriminals and other bad guys will improve their effectiveness in unleashing security hazards as well.

These types attacks are expected to grow dramatically this year, both in the severity of threats and in the number of attacks themselves. KnowBe4 discusses potential dangers to businesses in their press release; Six Cybersecurity Trends Organizations Need to Watch for in 2018. The potential of today’s electronic devices was once a distant thought only conceivable in Science Fiction movies, but unfortunately the same goes for scams also. Remain aware of what the bad guys are doing and outsmart them next year.

One of the most noticeable cybersecurity threats of 2018 is the Internet of Things (IoT) broadening. The inability of employees to recognize that an IoT device can connect to the Internet, just like any laptop or smartphone, makes them a highly susceptible target to hackers. Businesses should protect devices through antivirus, OS patching, and train workers through KnowBe4 to identify common dangers.

Ransomware as a service (RaaS) has become a commodity for hackers. It is a type of Malware that installs itself in the device’s driver and shuts down any capability a computer has of purging the virus. RaaS can take control of previous backups on that hard drive and make it impossible to restore that device. Once infected with this Malware, the only hope for recovering data on a machine is to wipe it entirely then copy information from an external backup. CCleaner will clear unwanted files before machines are contaminated.

Internet users will continue to take advantage of automation in 2018. Automation for Windows, antivirus, and antimalware updates helps protect devices since it patches potential threats when many employees do not take time to complete updates manually. One downfall of automation is having an Internet browser remember usernames and passwords. Storing passwords online makes it easier for users to access private accounts, but also makes information more obtainable for hackers.

Companies are continually improving their productivity as new technology is released. The bad news is that your business is more vulnerable than ever to cybersecurity threats. We cannot stress enough the importance of educating employees on the power of cybercriminals and how to detect attacks disguised within emails and questionable links.

Prepared to face the newest cybersecurity threats of 2018? Need assistance implementing a data protection protocol within your company? At Total Computer Solutions, we have decades of experience with digital support and security. TCS can guide you in the right direction if you have any questions about keeping your data secure with no obligation, just give us a call at (336) 804-8449 or fill out our form here.